This invention contemplates the formation of a hopper tee, that locates underneath of a bulk tank of a tank trailer, or railroad hopper, or any other means of conveyance of granular or related materials. Then, the tee may alternatively be utilized for orienting a disc valve, that allows for the vertical dropping of the material load downwardly for collection at the site of its unloading, or its disc valve may be pivoted to some degree, to close off the drop aspect of the tee, and allow for the bulk material to be conveyed, by air pressure, along the length of the tee and into conveyance means, such as hose or tubing, to a different location for deposit or storage. Thus, the tee of this invention has alternative applications, either as a bottom drop tee, or straight line tee for discharge of its granular load.
Hoppers, or tank trailers, regularly transport bulk commodities such as industrial and food products, and related materials. When the hopper or tank trailer reaches its destination, the bulk commodity is unloaded, typically by a power take off driven truck mounted blower, or a pneumatic system at a plant or factory. The bulk commodity generally unloads from the hopper and into a pipe line, or other means of conveyance, such as a hose, that connects to the tee of the vehicle. To complete the unloading, the hopper tees are mounted to the discharge outlet of the hoppers, or bins, usually a tee provided at each area of discharge. The tees may be interconnected together, by means of a hose line, or have its own separate transfer line, for discharge of the bulk material. Usually, such tees include a valve body, locating below the discharge outlet of the tank trailer, and which valve regulates the amount of product discharged into the hopper tee. The hopper tee conventionally has a vertical section of constant dimension and shape, and an integral horizontal section also of constant dimension of shape forming the inverting tee shape configuration, as formed. Usually, such a tee will include a butterfly valve that allows for transfer of the bulk material into the tee. Usually, to transfer the bulk commodity, the material is moved out of the hopper, or bin, by gravity flow or air pressure vibration through the valve body and into the vertical section of the said tee. The discharge pipe is connected to the horizontal section of the tee for pneumatic conveyance of the bulk material through the pipe which occurs by establishing a pressure differential in the pipe.
The prior art hopper tees have a complete, one piece assembly that includes a vertical section, connecting to a hopper, or to a butterfly valve between the two, and a horizontal section, connecting to the discharge pipe, as aforesaid. The prior art hopper tee design fits below the bottom of the bins of the pneumatic tank trailers. Typically, the valve of the bin bolts to the flange of the hopper tee, or to the butterfly valve intermediate thereof. Installation and removal of a valve typically requires pivoting the hopper tee completely away from the bottom of the valve. Prior art hopper tees generally pivot about an axis parallel to the horizontal section, but spaced away from the central longitudinal axis of the hopper tee. In opening a prior art hopper tee, the hopper tee swings downwardly and through nearly a right angle so that the valve body can be installed or removed. Swinging of the hopper tee rotates the tee so that a significant portion of the ground clearance below the hopper tee comes occupied by the hopper tee, generally for most of the overall height of the vertical section.
Although prior hopper tees function well for their intending purposes, some hopper tees could function as bottom drop tees, which allows for discharge of its granular material directly downwardly, into a collection area. Most hopper tees simply have the horizontal section, and allows for the longitudinal transfer by pressurized air of the granular material for conveyance through an associated hose or pipe, connected to the tee, to a distant location, for deposit or usage.
Usually, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and State Highway Departments have established heights, widths, and lengths, of the tank trailers, and the various clearances that must be met to comply with regulations. Thus, where the hopper tee incorporates a lower closure member, that allows for the bottom drop type of deposit of its granular material, such a closure member needs to pivoted downwardly, usually, the regulations governing the heights of the tees and their operative components above the ground, in many instances, were not met. Furthermore, as previously reviewed, many of the hopper tees could only be used for the longitudinal delivery of the granular material, or, in a separate embodiment, provide for the downward deposit of the bulk material.
Examples of earlier style of bottom drop tees can be seen in the United States patent to the inventor herein, Mr. Sisk, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,386, upon a Split Collar with Offset Hook and Hinge Hopper Assembly. This particular embodiment can both be used for the horizontal or longitudinally delivery of granular material, or as noted in FIG. 8, its closure member could be pivoted downwardly, to allow for bottom drop characteristics from its bottom opening, as can also be noted in FIG. 17.
The U.S. Pat. No. 9,175,796, to the same inventor, shows a hopper tee with conformable arcuate closure member. Likewise, this particular embodiment required the pivoting of a cam means, for opening of its bottom cover, to provide for discharge or dropping of the granular material directly downwardly through and from its associated tee.
Pat. No. D673,657, shows a fluted hopper tee, to the same inventor, to obtain the drop tee characteristics for unloading of its granular material.
Pat. No. D678,471, to the same inventor, shows a valve with a handle extension. This is a butterfly valve that may locate intermediate the bottom flange of the tank trailer, and the upper flange of the tee, to provide for controller release of granular material into the tee, for other transfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,807,529, shows a form of handle extension for a butterfly valve as used in combination with a hopper tee.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,727,306, to Mr. Sisk, shows a valve handle for butterfly valve for bulk commodity hopper with tee. This handle has a form of extended portion, to allow for its leveraged usage in the opening and closing of the butterfly valve operatively associated with the tee.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,328,855, shows another tee and unload line with integrated cam lock. This shows how the flow line or hose can be fastened to the tee, to provide for longitudinal conveyance of granular material from its associated tank trailer, or other vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,267,611, shows a multi-angle butterfly valve extension assembly, that facilitates the opening and closing of the butterfly valve, leading towards the tee, for discharge of granular material.
These are examples of the type of prior art that exist relating to the use of valves, such as butterfly valves, in combination with hopper tees, as secured with the bottom of the bin of a bulk tank, to provide for further conveyance of the shipped granular material to another location for usage or storage.